Lenny Williams – “Baby I’m Sorry”
Lenny Williams – “Baby I’m Sorry” – Single Review
“I know you’re thinking, is it love or lust?”
Well that’s good Lenny…at least we’re on the same page.
I’ll tell ya this much for certain, when “Baby I’m Sorry” began and the music came flowin’ outta studio speakers so smoothly, I was pretty convinced right away that this dude was gonna be on really solid ground. There’s simply not a hair out of place when it comes to the definition in the rhythm section or the surrounding elements like the saxophone & guitar…on a musical level, this single immediately stands out for many reasons and its audibly tangible quality. You can tell it’s gonna reach back into the old-school of R&B, but if you’ve been raised on the classics, you’ll recognize it has a timeless vibe to it all.
Classic is really what Lenny IS when it comes right down to it…he’s a man that has made significant contributions to the world of music, and many of you out there likely know that to be the truth. Ever heard of Tower Of Power? If you know your music history, you certainly do. I was raised in a household that held that band up as the legends they’ve always been – and Lenny’s a key part of their legacy. As far as I understand it, he was their lead-singer between 1972-1974…which I think, if I’m correct, would make him the second lead-singer they had? I could be wrong about that…Tower Of Power has had a whole ton of incredible singers in their band throughout the years, but notably, Lenny Williams is quite often regarded as the best they ever had, and most memorable. Mind you, that was quite a while ago at this point…as far as I’ve learned, Lenny would be seventy-seven at this point in time, turning seventy-eight in less than two weeks if my math is correct. So ask yourself this dear readers, dear friends, dear fellow musicians…are YOU going to still be rocking at seventy-eight? Is that the level of passion you’re bringing to your music and career? Before you even remotely think of judging a track like “Baby I’m Sorry” for better or worse, make sure that you pay some respect to this legend y’all…it’s inspiring that he’s still making music after all these years. Long may you run my brother – that’s honestly incredible.
So let’s see here…what do I think about “Baby I’m Sorry?” It’s a good tune, with good intentions. I’ll readily concede it’s every bit as on the old-school side of R&B as I was tellin’ ya from the get-go, but I can’t imagine that being any kind of detriment to those out there that know Lenny’s body of work and the kind of music he’s made in the past whether it was in Tower Of Power or throughout his solo career. He’s “guilty baby, in the first degree” of tryin’ to get his lovin’ on, even now at the age of seventy-eight. Some things never change, am I right? If you know what you like, you know what you like, and chances are, you’re always going to like those things, just like Lenny does. He’s seeing the girl of his dreams right there in front of his eyes, they’re buggin’ on outta his head, and yep – he’s staring, admittedly thinkin’ some thoughts in quite vivid detail if ya know what I mean. Now…I ain’t one for staring personally, and I know I’m not necessarily alone in feeling that way when it comes to the concept or what that looks like – on paper. However…those of you that have been fortunate enough to find your soul-mate in this life, know full well that when cupid’s arrow strikes, it pierces every bit of armor you have, and love can make you do things you’d never imagine doing. Staring is one of those things. When you really can’t believe your eyes are seeing what they’re seeing, or you visibly encountered THE ONE…what can you do? You can apologize later on, and say “Baby I’m Sorry” – that’s what you can do…but chances are, you’re going to stare a little bit, realizing that you’ve found exactly what you’ve been searching for your entire life. So I get it Lenny…ultimately, it’s love you’re singing about…there’s a bit of lust thrown in there too my man and we both know that’s the truth, but you’re coming at this theme from a real place of sweetness.
He does extremely well when it comes right down to it. I’m sure you could argue that a twenty year-old version of Lenny would have been able to give these notes & tones he’s singing ten percent more I guess – but I think for the age he’s at, he’s gotta be sounding better than the vast majority of anyone that would still have the courage to be rockin’ the mic on the way to his eighties. Above all things, he knows where his bread & butter is and the kind of music he wants to create, which really gives him the ability to attack the vocals with every ounce of soul you’d expect from a veteran professional like Williams. So the biggest notes and the most intense demands on his voice, actually come out the most impressive of all. The longer he gets to make an impression on ya in this song, the more he makes the magic happen. His hooks are on-point, the sentiment is sweet, the sound is soulful…the man’s still every bit the legend he’s always been; it’s great to know he’s still taking every opportunity to put his renowned talent to use.
Make sure to find out more about Lenny Williams at his official website: https://lennywilliams.com
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